DAYTON, Ohio – In a four-set match that included 29 ties and 16 lead
changes, No. 3 Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame overcame a loss in the first
set to win three straight sets and top No.1-ranked and previously
undefeated Toledo St. Ursula, 3-1 (25-27, 25-23, 25-19, 26-24), Saturday
in the OHSAA Division I state championship match at Wright State
University’s Nutter Center.

The state title is the seventh for Mount Notre Dame (26-3), which also
won championships in 2011, 2006, 2000, 1999, 1998 and 1995. Only St.
Ursula (8), Newark Catholic (8) and St. Henry (7) have won as many state
volleyball titles.

St. Ursula, a two-time state champ (2010 and 2004), ends its season 29-1
and was making its 10th appearance in the state tournament.

Despite MND’s loss in set one, it was their comeback at the end of the
set which perhaps led to their eventual victory. The Cougars trailed
22-15 in set one before coming back to tie the score at 24-24.

Tigers win first two sets, then win set five
15-11 for Div. III championship

DAYTON, Ohio – Two schools vying for
their first volleyball state championship went the full five sets Saturday,
and it was third-ranked Versailles that came out on top as the Tigers
defeated ninth-ranked Gilmour Academy 3-2 (26-24, 25-23, 22-25, 23-25,
15-11) in the OHSAA Division III state championship match at Wright State
University’s Nutter Center.

Versailles (27-2) was making its fourth
appearance in the state tournament, while Gilmour (22-7) was making its
fifth. The score was tied 24 times and there were nine lead changes during
the match.

Despite the loss, Gilmour set an OHSAA record
for best team hitting percentage in a Div. III five-set match (.217) since
rally scoring went into effect in 2004.

Junior Maddie Bazelak and senior Natalie Seiler
led Alter in kills with 16 and 14, respectively.

2013 OHSAA Volleyball State Tournament Preview

The 39th edition of the Ohio High School Athletic Association volleyball
state tournament gets underway Thursday at the Ervin J. Nutter Center on the
campus of Wright State University in Dayton. The tournament is now in its
23rd year at the Nutter Center, with the championship games once again being
televised live by SportsTime Ohio. The state tournament rotation in 2013 is
Division I, IV, III and then II.

The semifinals get underway Thursday at noon with Division I, where
fourth-ranked Columbus St. Francis DeSales (26-1) faces top-ranked Toledo
St. Ursula Academy (27-0). DeSales has reached the state tournament for the
sixth time and has one state championship (1982), while St. Ursula is in for
the 10th time and owns two state championships (2010 and 2004) and was state
runner-up in 2011. The second Division I semifinal game pits unranked and
state tournament newcomer Hudson (21-6) against third-ranked Cincinnati
Mount Notre Dame (23-3), which has won six state titles (last in 2011).

The Division IV semifinals will take place Thursday beginning at 4 p.m.
when defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Maria Stein Marion Local
(26-1) takes on second-ranked and undefeated McComb (27-0), which is in the
state tournament for the first time. Marion Local owns four state titles
since 2007. The second Division IV semifinal has 13th-ranked Newark Catholic
(24-4) with its eight state championships (last in 2004) facing unranked
Cleveland Villa Angela St. Joseph (22-5), which owns two state titles (2001
and 2005).

Friday’s action begins at noon with the Division III state semifinals
when third-ranked Versailles (25-2) takes on sixth-ranked Upper Sandusky
(25-2). Versailles is making its fourth state tournament appearance
(runner-up in 2003), while Upper Sandusky has reached the “final four” for
the first time. On the other side of the Division III bracket, 10th-ranked
West Lafayette Ridgewood (26-1) makes its state tournament debut against
ninth-ranked Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (21-6), which owns three state
runner-up finishes (2008, 2010 and 2011).

The state semifinals conclude Friday with the Division II semifinals at
4 p.m. beginning with a match-up between second-ranked Kettering Archbishop
Alter (23-3) and fourth-ranked Dover (27-0). Alter has played in the state
championship match five times since 2002 (titles in 2002, 2003 and 2006),
while Dover is making its third state tournament appearance overall. The
second Division II semifinal has defending state champ and 11th-ranked
Cleveland Heights Beaumont (20-7) facing No. 1 ranked Parma Padua Franciscan
(26-1), which won state titles in 2008 and 2009.